Sunshine after the Rain.

Sometimes it rains.

And there is nothing we can do to stop it.

Sometimes we wish it would never end.

Others we wish it would have never begun.

But regardless of what we wish,

it falls.

...and falls.

.....and falls.

Rain is refreshing. It's soothing. It cleans.

Yet it's cold, and in it's presence the world around you is covered in a melancholy blanket.

And sometimes all you want to do is sit and watch it fall, listen to it pitter and patter against the roof, the sidewalk, the drain pipes.

At least I do.

And this week, I did.

Tuesday.

Wednesday.

...and Thursday.

Tuesday I walked slowly toward a beautiful white house, letting the rain splash my shoes and wet my hair. Tuesday I didn't mind. Because Tuesday was a day I needed the rain.

Yet it was the rain I wish would have never begun.

Because Tuesday was a night filled with the pain of goodbye.

The fear of the unknown.

The mystery of what to do next.

And Tuesday as I left that beautiful white house, I let the rain fall.

And clean. And soothe.

I let it blend with my tears, and felt that melancholy blanket wrap tightly around me. And Tuesday rain let me know I was not alone. I was surrounded by friends feeling the same pain, the same fear. And no matter how far we drove from each other, the rain was still there.

With each of us listening.

As it fell.

...and fell

....and fell.

Wednesday rain was different. Wednesday rain began with sun. The sun was gleaming, and the sidewalk even felt warm under my bare feet as I ran to the mailbox.

Inside was a surprise.

A heartfelt surprise that made me smile. Made happiness flood through my whole body. And as my eyes rapidly read every word spilled on that page, I realized the rain wasn't done falling. But that inbetween it's dreadful bouts, there was sunshine.

And I needed to embrace that fact.

So I did. With my mom by my side we drove in the sunshine, to a place that always makes me happy.

My sister's house.

And in spending the afternoon with my grandma, my mom, my sister, and my niece, I realized that this was the sunshine between the bouts of rain.

And that even though we had to leave the small bakery and venture back into the rain, the sunshine still followed. And that no matter how hard the rain beat against the windshield, I was safe inside the warm car- surrounded by people who love me.

But that's not all.

The coolest part is yet to come.

Later, as my sister and I drove through the rain again, the sun beamed through the clouds creating the biggest, most beautiful rainbow I had ever seen.

It covered the entire sky, and was glowing as bright as the sun.

And right beside it, was another one. More faint, and only half visible, yet it was still there.

And in that moment i felt like someone else was watching and wanted me to know there really is sunshine after the rain.

That the dark, cold rain really does bring something truly beautiful. Something that fills you with hope.

You just have to be willing to wait for it.

So when Thursday rain came, I welcomed it. I didn't want it to end.

Because it gave me hope.

Yes it was raining.

Again.

For the third day in a row.

During a week that has been hard. And hurts.

But this time, I knew that no matter how long it rained, or in essence how bad life can hurt, there is something beautiful that will follow.

And that is why Thursday rain brought me hope.

And for the first time in 3 days, the rain made me happy.

Because I have confidence that through the toughest of life's rainstorms, there is always one thing that guarantees the sunshine.

And that is hope.

And I hope as you enter into your own rainstorms, maybe even floods or hurricanes, you too will never lose hope.

Because I promise there will be sunshine.